Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Zambian counterpart Levy Patrick Mwanawasa agreed on Saturday to strengthen the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

During their talks, Hu, who arrived in Lusaka earlier in the day on a state visit to Zambia, and Mwanawasa reached important consensus on boosting mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples, and on opening up a bright future for bilateral ties.

Sino-Zambian relations have developed smoothly since the two countries established diplomatic ties 42 years ago, Hu said.

The friendship between China and Zambia, fostered by generations of leaders, has "endured the test of changes in the international arena and both countries' domestic situation," he added.

Nowadays, Hu said, the two countries maintain close high-level exchanges with mutual political trust continuously enhanced.

Remarkable results have been yielded from exchanges and cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, agriculture, telecommunications, mining, infrastructure construction, finance, education, health and culture, he said,

The two-way trade volume has increased rapidly in recent years, with China becoming Zambia's third largest overseas investor, Hu said, adding that the two countries have also supported and coordinated with each other in international affairs.

On the Taiwan question, China appreciates the Zambian government's unswerving adherence to the one-China policy and support for China's great cause of national unification, said the president.

(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2007)